March 4–The Battle for the Mind

Happy Monday. I hope you had a good weekend and if you didn’t get to go to church, you were able to at least listen to a sermon. That’s what we had to do. But the great thing about Jesus is that He can be right there in the room with us even when we are watching a podcast that was recorded a few days earlier, right? It doesn’t matter where we are. 


I’ve been trying to change my walking routine from one mile to two miles. It doesn’t sound like much but after that first mile it’s easy to just tell myself “One mile is good, do two tomorrow.” And if I don’t have my mind fixed on doing the two miles, I’m likely to stop and eat Chick-fil-A with the waffle fries instead of walking! It’s all about self control of my mind and making sure to have my ear buds sufficiently charged up. If I’m not listening to the right music or better yet a podcast that builds up my mind, I’m libel to fall away and not finish my goal. And even if I do finish, not finish with a good time. 


I’ve been studying Peter recently and for a fisherman, Peter was a pretty smart guy. (Although there are historians who question if Peter the apostle is the author of I and II Peter, most agree he probably was.) Nonetheless, Peter speaks a lot about the battle of the mind and how if we can transform our minds, our actions will follow. If we can keep the right message playing in our ears, our minds become prepared. What are we listening to? What kinds of things are we giving space in our brains?


“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”” 1 Peter‬ ‭1:13-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬


As Paul said:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭KJV‬‬


Lord of Heaven and Earth change us from the inside out, transform us and renew our minds so we may become holy as you are holy. Lord we want our actions to follow your will and to prove good and acceptable for all you have laid out for us. You are perfect in all of your ways, and we want to live as your obedient children. We place our hope in the joy of our salvation and our trust in your great mercy and grace. We love you and praise you today. Amen and amen. 


Love you dear one,

Pam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more